I had a lot of fun preparing for this lesson. It was a little hectic in our class today and didn't go exactly as I had dreamed, but when does it ever when you have a room full of two year olds? They still had fun and I hope they learned a thing or two.
I made about 12 of these binoculars this week, mod podging patterned paper around empty toilet paper rolls and hot gluing string to the sides so they can hang around the kids' necks. I've been saving TP rolls since the first day I learned I would be in nursery because there's always something you can do with them.
We started our lesson off with prayer and then I handed out puzzle pieces and miscellaneous toys all of animals for each kid to hold. We talked about them asking what the animal was and was it big or small. Then I gave each child a pair of binoculars. They spent the remainder of the lesson looking through them at each other and the animals I had handed out, but that was the whole point. I told them that everything we see through those binoculars was something that Heavenly Father put on the earth for our good. Everything we see through those binoculars we need to treat with love and kindness and respect. In two year old words, everything we see in those binoculars you need to be nice to.
They were such a hit!
I found these little "magic beans" at the dollar store. I gathered all of the children around a table and told them we were going to do a magic trick. They were really excited. I handed each of them a magic bean and they all put them into the tub of water I had out. Then I told them that while the magic was happening we would go and color a picture and when we were done our beans would transform into something really cool.
We ended up having to put the lid on them and put them up and out of the way because the kids were a little too intrigued wanting to hover over it, stick their fingers in it, and dump the water.
We went to our table and colored this picture.
I added a little text on the side in a word document and for a little extra "umph" I brought some colored feathers and had each kid tape a bright feather onto it.
When we were done we checked on our magic trick and much to the kids' surprise their magic beans turned into animals! Each kid got an animal, and once again we talked about each animal and how we need to be kind to all of God's creatures.
After singing time, toy time, and snack time we have a little space at the very end of class before the parents come and grab their kids. I had made this little matching activity for the older kids with animal picture I found online and colored. I was actually impressed that the older kids could play the matching game and they really loved it. For the younger kids I brought some animal puzzles for them to do. Again, we focused on being kind to all of God's creatures.
